Building construction



Oct. 22, 1929. A. M. HULL 2 BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Original Filed Aug. 30, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Y xx r 2! 20 ya I a9 Fig.2

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INVENTOR. Hi. 77?. M

A TTORNE Y.

Oct. 22, 1929. A. M. HULL BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Original Filed Aug. 30, 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet M INVENTOR.

Q44 7? 7744/ BY JMM- m4? ATTORNEY.

(v l? is vl i m m m b 1H A. M. HULL BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Original Filed Aug. 50, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet L. t j N VENTU A TTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 22, 1929,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ALVA M. HULL, F DETROIT, MICHIGAN BUILDING CONSTRUCTION T Application filed August 30, 1926, Serial No. 132,340. Renewed March 23, 1929.

The present invention relates to building construction and more particularly to methods of and means for constructing buildings quickly and elliciently.

[among the objects of the invention is to simplify the erection of buildings of all sorts and yet produce a structure which is pern lowing description and drawings in which Jill till

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of one of the wall units; 0

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion of the side members of two units secured to gether;

Fig. 3 shows the several parts of Fig. 2 before securing together and in proper relative position;

Fi 4: is a view similar to Fig. 2 of a modilied form I Fig. 5 is a. view of the same from a dilferent angle;

F ig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but of the modified form shown in Figs. 4 and 5;

Figs. 7 8 and 9 are detail views in perspective of certain of the fastening clips;

Fig. 10 is a perspective View of the wall structure with art of the covering removed;

Fig. 11 is a similar view of a corner structure showing a door unit. D

As indicated in the drawings a building constructed in accordance with the present invention will have its wall portions made of structural units which need be of very few kinds and each kind, of very few sizes. A 7

blank wall, for example, will be formed of several units such as shown in Fig. 1. A wall with windows will be of the some units with as many window units as desired. A wall with a door will be of the same units with a door unit.

The wall units mentioned are rectangular members of, suitable size, composed of two upright stud portions 2Q, of channel section having a longitudinal rib 21 pressed in the web thereof, and top and bottom plain channel members 22. These are arranged with their flanges extending inwardly to form the rectangle and are welded as at 23 at all four corners.

When two of the units are placed together it is preferred to secure them together by means of a strip 25, called for convenience the backbone. This backbone consists of a metal strip having spaced along its edges pairs of tongues 26 of which the two members are bent at right angles to the strip and in opposite directions as shown. The strip will be as-wide as a channel member and between the tongues 26 will be provided with has tongues 26 and spines 27 on only one edge. In this form the tongues 27 are bent over the flanges on one side of the two members 20 and the other side secured by clips 25 The latter are preferably perforated as at 25 (Fig. 9) so that a nail 25 may be driven in between members 20 to prevent longitudinal displacement of the clip and so that other nails 25 may be inserted in case it is desired at a later time to finish this side of the wall. In using the parts mentioned to construct a blank wall, it is preferred to lay on the foundation a channel piece 50 (see Fig. 11) which is slightly wider than the end members 22 of the wall unit and to stand in this a suflicient number of the wall units to make the wall length required. In using standard units, all of the same width, to make a wall length not an even multiple of the unit width, the fractional width may be left at one end or evenly divided between the two ends.

Adjacent units are then secured together with the backbone 25 as described and each unit secured in channel 50 by means of a clip 51 of the form shown in Fig. 8. When the units have been thus secured in position llltl a second channel member 52 similar to channel 50 is placed on top and also secured with clips 51.

Corners are formed by the use of corner units such as that shown in Fig. 11. This unit consists of two of the ribbed channel uprights 20 having welded to their Webs as at 125 two spinedstrips 126 and both welded or bolted to adjacent sides of substantially square spacing plates 127. To the free corner of the plates 127 will be welded an angle iron corner piece 128. In this unit, the members 20 will preferably be perforated at the top and bottom. of the flanges so that channels 50 and 52 may be secured by bolts 129.

It is preferred to use with the present construction sheet. metal joists such as are shown best in Fig. 10. These joists are of I section and composed of two channels spot welded along the middle of the web. Joists of this form permit driving of nails, or equivalents, between the two parts thereof and advantage of that property is taken inthe present invention.

Using such joists, as indicated at 60 in Figs. 10 and 11, the wall units and channels 50 and 52 may be and preferably are secured to the joists by means of the clips 61 shown in Fig. 7. These clips are provided with ears 62 long enough to be bent over the channel flanges and with shorter ears 63 adapted tobe bent over the low flange 60 on the joist. The clips 61 are also provided with the central spines 64 adapted to be driven into the joist as indicated at the top of Fig. 10.

When it is desired to provide a wall with a window, use is made of a window unit such as is shown in Fig. 10. This unit consists of two upright ribbed channel members 20 having cross members 70 above and below the window space and within the rectangle thus formed a second rectangle constituting the space formed by other cross members 71 and upright pieces 72. The latter will be welded or bolted to members 71 as indicated at 7 3. The pieces 71 and 72 will preferably have spines 71 and 7 2 punched out of their flanges and will be unribbed.

Above and below cross pieces 7 0 the space will preferably be occupied by a short vertical ribbed channel 20 and short diagonal braces 20 of the same material. It will of course be obvious that the size of the window space may be varied to accommodate different sizes of windows.

If it is desired to provide the wall with a door, a unit such as is shown in Fig. 11

is shown. In this unit, two upright members 20 are used and these are preferably bolted to channel 50 as indicated at 80, the upper ends having'a cross member 22 over which channel 52'is placed and secured by clips 51and 61. At a point somewhat higher than the door height, a cross channel 81 is welded to the uprights 20. This channel '81 will be provided with holes 82 in both flanges and at each end as indicated by means of these holes a door frame proper may be bolted thereto, the several holes in each group permitting use of different widths of door frames and some latitude in the location of the frame within the space.

The door frame proper consists of the two upright channel members 83 and a cross member 84 bolted thereto near the top as at 85. As in the case of the window unit, the space above cross member 81 will be occupied with the bracing structure shown and the members 83 and 8 1 are provided with the punched out spines 27. At the lower ends, the members 83 will be bolted to channel 50 as indicated and the flanges of the latter cut and flattened down as at 86.

When the frame structure has been completed as described, it is first covered with a suitable noninflammable heat insulating sheet 100 by driving down over-the spines 27 on the various parts and then over this is placed metal lathing 101 with the spines 27 passing through the meshes thereof. These spines are then bent over to secure the lathing in place and in the bending will pull the lathing taut providing lateral support to channel members 20, thereby bracing the wall units and binding the several parts into a unitary structure. A suitable plastic surfacing material 102 is then applied. Inside surfacesv may be and preferably are finished in like fashion.

Building structures produced in the manner and of the means described are practically fireproof as no inflammable material is used and on account of the lack of air circulation in the walls, except in comparatively small. bodies of air, and from the walls to and through the floors and ceilings, such structures are very well insulated against passage of heat through the walls. In other words, such structures are warmer in winter and cooler in summer than even the best built wood or brick house built according to conventional practice. Even the studding formed of two uprights 20 does not conduct readily from the one side of the wall to the other on account of the ribs 21 as these not only lengthen the path through which the heat must be carried but form a sort of heat barrier by having a body of air on both sides of the comparatively thin metal. These ribs have also the function of stiffening these up rights and therefore have a double function. It should also be noted that in the present building construction the several units, while they are fixed together securely, nevertheless under conditions of unequal temperature changes may have suflicient relative movement to prevent any distortion or undue stress in adjacent units or portions thereof. And,

. lhlttthlblt when. concrete or other Portland cement com-- positions are risedin conjunction therewith tires-a having coetlicients oi eapansion close to'or the same as the metal or the units, ea

5 pend or contract with the latter and theretore do not deterioratet'rom this cause; Each a structure is therefore permanenth Having now descrihed the invention and the preierred term of embodiment thereoll w it is to he understood that the said invention is not to he limited to the specific details herein described and illustrated hut only hy the scope of the claims which :t'ollort.

M l. in hnilding construction a suhstaii'lah l v rectangular Wall unit consisting at two side members oil channel section having; a longitudinal rih in the arch thereot and top and hottom channel memhersi the tour meman hers heing assemhled with their flanges errtendinp; inwardly and Welded together.

Q. "W all construction tor huilding comprising; a plurality ot previously prepared rectangular units in alignment and having their an adjacent sides secured together h means which also provides anchoringmeans tor Wall surfacing); materials.

3. Wall construction tor huildinrgs comprising a plurality oil previously prepared to roctangalar units in alignment-and having their adjacent sides secured together a hot-- tom mernher and a top memher to Which all of the units are-secured the means tor secur inn" said adjacent sides and lot securing; said as nnits to the top and hottom mernhers also pro ridino means tor anchoring Wall sarlhaeinp, mater ialsi ln "Wall constrnction tor 'hnildings in which a plurality ol' "Wall nnits are used,

as means tor lastening together the adjacent sides oi the units and for anchoring surilacing; material. said means consisting; ot a strip at metal having" on one ot' its edges pairs oi ears adapted to he hent one over each oil the ad t5 jacent portions of the units and also spines adapted to anchor stir-lacing" materials, I

ti, lfn Wall constrnction tor hnildin s in which a plurality at "Wall nnits are nsed means tor tasteninpg together the adjacent till sides oi the nnits and lot" anchoring snr lacing material said means consisting at a trip out metal hating on hoth oi its edges pairs oil ears adapted to he hent one over each at the adjacent portions oi the units and also spines adapted to anchor surl'acinn materials.

lllall construction t'or hnildintr compris a'plnralit oil previously prepared rec tann nlar mitts in alignment and harint; their adjacent sides secured 'totrether said sides llll torminpr metal 'rrehs entendinp; thronpgh said "stall tram adjacent the inside to adjacent the outside thereolti, and means to intertero the eondnction ol" heat through said 

